This one comes from L&L columnist Mary Grunder, who gives us an inside peek at how his maintenance team operates in the winter months.

At the end of the year, his fleet and facilities  manager, Joe Spatz, sends out an email to the company, asking after their trucks, equipment and tools. At Grunder Landscaping, Joe is responsible for 27 vehicles, 21 trailers and 150 individual pieces of equipment.

Every December, he wants to know what needs to be repaired or replaced during the winter, so everyone can operate efficiently out of the gate come spring.

“This is a small thing we do, but it’s thinking like this that helps us improve,” Marty says. “And when you can get your people to do this (I had nothing to do with this), you are on the right track.”

You can download Joe’s form here.

Ever heard of weed bombing?  It’s probably not what you think.

A group in Miami is tired of overgrown weeds on vacant lots and public properties – weeds they say the city maintenance crews are in charge of clearing. So the group of friends has decided to take the matter into their own hand by spray painting the weeds bright colors to draw attention to the neglect.

Chief Bombadier Brad Knoefler told Miami’s New Times the strategy has actually improved the group’s relations with the Downtown Development Authority, the organization charged with the area’s upkeep.

It may not be the easiest way to rid weeds – and let’s hope they know what’s a weed and what’s not – but it is a decent strategy to gain people’s attention.

Photo: Courtesy of New Times and Grant Stern